AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATION AND EXCHANGE

BETWEEN

THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEBEC

AND

THE GOVERNMENT OF YUKON

WITH RESPECT TO THE

FRANCOPHONIE

IN THIS AGREEMENT,

THE GOVERNMENT OF QUEBEC IS REPRESENTED BY:

The Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie, and

THE GOVERNMENT OF YUKON IS REPRESENTED BY:

The Deputy Premier, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Minister responsible for the Women’s Directorate and Minister responsible for the French Language Services Directorate.

The governments of Quebec and Yukon are hereinafter referred to as “the Parties.”

WHEREAS Quebec and Yukon have maintained relations with respect to the Francophonie since 2004 when they entered into the first agreement for cooperation and exchange, and both provinces are home to a French-speaking population and want to support and strengthen the richness and diversity of the Francophonie;

WHEREAS Quebec is the only Francophone state in North America and as such intends to exercise collaborative leadership with respect to the Francophonie and, concurrently, there has been a vibrant French-speaking community in Yukon since the start of the 20th century;

WHEREAS the government of Quebec wishes to support the development of the Francophone and Acadian communities and to ensure the long-term future of the French fact in Canada and, in order to do so, it intends to draw on the assistance of the 2.6 million Francophones and Francophiles outside Quebec throughout the rest of Canada, thereby ensuring the determining role of the French language in the foundation of Canadian society; WHEREAS Yukon is determined to ensure that this cooperation yields significant benefits for the future of its French-speaking community and that it translates into concrete actions in areas deemed relevant by the Parties, thereby ensuring the promotion, development and vitality of the French language and Francophone culture in Yukon and throughout the Canadian Francophonie;

WHEREAS in September 2008, the governments of Quebec and Yukon entered into a second Agreement for Cooperation and Exchange and they deem it appropriate to renew and enhance this agreement.

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THE PARTIES AGREE TO SHARE AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND EXPERTISE AND TO COOPERATE IN A NUMBER OF AREAS, INCLUDING EDUCATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD, FRENCH-LANGUAGE RESOURCES, YOUTH, ARTS AND CULTURE, COMMUNICATIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, IMMIGRATION AND HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES.

Title I: EDUCATION

Article 1

The Parties agree to promote the exchange of information on methods of teaching French, and the exchange of specialists in this field, particularly by organizing activities focused on developing and improving pedagogy, and on providing professional development for teachers, administrators and other persons involved in the field of education. They also agree to exchange information on practices for integrating the cultural component in the classroom and to promote student exchanges in addition to exchanges and cooperation in the area of adult education, particularly with respect to the teaching of French as a second language.

Title II: EARLY CHILDHOOD

Article 2

The Parties will encourage cooperation and the exchange of information and expertise in the area of early childhood education, particularly with respect to policies, programs, training, the delivery of French-language services and the transmission of the French language.

Title III: FRENCH-LANGUAGE RESOURCES

Article 3

The Parties will facilitate exchanges of information concerning not only the French language, particularly in the area of terminology, language industries and French-language resources, but also language training (French second language) for employees in the public service, taking into account opportunities made available by new information and communications technologies.

Title IV: YOUTH

Article 4

The Parties will encourage exchanges designed to help young Francophones become better acquainted with each other and more familiar with their respective cultures, and to develop a sense of belonging to the Canadian Francophonie. In addition, the Parties agree to step up their exchanges and cooperation with respect to the migration of young Francophones in Canada and the steps to be taken to encourage them to return to their respective communities.

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TITLE V: ARTS AND CULTURE

Article 5

The Parties will encourage cooperation and exchanges between Francophones and Francophiles in all fields of art and culture, including literature, music, the performing arts, dance, the visual arts, folklore, crafts, museums, libraries, archives and heritage.

Title VI: COMMUNICATIONS

Article 6

The Parties will encourage cooperation and exchanges in all areas of French- language communications. These exchanges will support projects in different areas, including audiovisual and computers, related to education, culture, information, community radio and newspaper publishing, with an emphasis on cooperation to promote the survival and growth of community media at this critical juncture in the development of this sector.

Title VII: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Section 7

The Parties will encourage exchanges of information on the use of French in economic development, particularly in the area of tourism and in all other areas deemed beneficial to improve practices in French. They will cooperate on joint fact-finding missions to promote effective cooperation in this area.

Title VIII: TOURISM

Article 8

The Parties will encourage cooperation and exchanges in the various sectors of activity of their respective tourist industries. These exchanges will involve practices with respect to tourist reception and information, French-language training in tourism, the use of new technologies in tourism, the development of products and promotional activities designed to support the marketing of these products.

Title IX: IMMIGRATION

Article 9

The Parties will share their expertise and best practices in the area of immigration, the selection of Francophone immigrants, the integration and successful settlement of newcomers, francization, education, training of settlement workers and teachers, and on-line francization programs.

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Title X: HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Article 10

The Parties will encourage exchanges of information on health and social services, especially with regard to training and the delivery of health care and services for Francophones in particular.

In this regard, they will promote cooperation as well as activities and exchanges in the area of health and social services that could be defined in specific agreements between associations dedicated to providing these services.

Title XI: OTHER AREAS OF COOPERATION

Article 11

The Parties will exchange information and expertise and cooperate in any other area that they deem both relevant with respect to the Francophonie and consistent with the general objectives of this agreement.

Title XII: IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

Article 12

The Quebec Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie and the Yukon Minister responsible for the French Language Services Directorate shall meet at least once every two years to share and discuss developments with respect to the Canadian Francophonie and to adopt a three-year action plan in areas deemed to be priorities by the Parties.

Article 13

In order to develop the three-year action plan, a tripartite meeting will be held and will include representatives of the Quebec Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes, the Yukon French Language Services Directorate and the Association franco-yukonnaise, the organization representing Yukon’s French-speaking community. The purpose of this meeting will be to identify priority areas for action over the next three years that will be recommended to the ministers.

The Parties, following consultation with the organization representing Yukon’s French-speaking community, will target initiatives that fall within the scope of the priority areas for action and are expected to provide structure and significant impacts to the Canadian Francophonie and to enhance the vitality and development of Yukon’s French-speaking community. They will also ensure the promotion of such initiatives.

Article 14

Every year, a Standing Cooperation Commission consisting of senior officials responsible for the Canadian Francophonie within the Quebec Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes and the Yukon French Language Services Directorate will meet in person or communicate by teleconference or videoconference to assess the results achieved over the preceding year, identify proposed directions for the upcoming year and submit recommendations to their respective ministers in this regard.

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Title XIII: GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 15

The Parties will determine and allocate each year, upon mutual agreement and in accordance with the budgetary processes and policies in effect within their respective governments, the funds necessary for the implementation of this agreement. The allocation of monies for the funding of projects under this agreement is subject to appropriation by their respective legislatures.

Whereas over the past five years, the Parties have each allocated the sum of $2,000 on average annually, they each intend to allocate, every year from 2016– 2017 to 2020–2021, the sum of $25,000 annually to implement this agreement. For subsequent years, the amount will be determined by the Parties under the three-year action plan.

Article 16

This agreement, which replaces the September 2008 Agreement for Cooperation and Exchange between the Government of Quebec and the Government of Yukon, shall take effect upon being signed by the Parties. This agreement may be amended upon written consent of the Parties and may be terminated by either of the Parties upon at least six months’ notice in writing.

DATED THIS 31ST DAY OF MARCH 2016, IN BOTH ENGLISH AND FRENCH, EACH VERSION BEING EQUALLY AUTHENTIC.

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF YUKON: QUEBEC:

______Jean-Marc Fournier Elaine Taylor Minister responsible for Canadian Deputy Premier Relations and the Canadian Minister responsible for the French Francophonie Language Services Directorate

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